Valentine's Day
by tsuki akari
Summary: What happens to the people in Suikoden when Valentine's comes around? New chapter up! (finally... ') Kinnison & Ayda
1. Treasure of the Sindar

Valentine's Day  
  
Disclaimer: Suikoden and its characters are owned by KCE, not me. And if my fics resemble any other author's works, it's purely coincidental, since I'm sure there are millions of Suikoden fics out there, and I haven't read all of them yet.  
  
Author's Note: I was bitten by the love bug, and it inspired me to write this. It's my first fic...Hope you enjoy! ^_^; Oh yeah, I used the default name for Hero2 (Riou), and my castle is called Genkaku Castle (in reverence to the late great State hero.. *sniff*)  
  
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Chapter 1: Treasure of the Sindar  
  
The chilly February wind howled through the leaves of the great trees, ruffling the black and crimson cape of the man walking underneath their canopies. His footsteps were light and cautious; once in a while he would take a quick look behind him.  
  
~That woman had better not be following me.~  
  
He was alone. He smirked.  
  
~Everyone's back in the castle, preoccupied with that silly holiday, Valentine's Day... What nonsense! Love... I've no time for things like that. I couldn't have picked a finer day to explore the ruins!~  
  
Finally, he stopped. In front of him was the weathered stone entrance of a Sindar ruin, half-covered in moss and vines.  
  
His eyes narrowed in determination.  
  
"Go ahead, Killey," he told himself. "I know you hate taking the leftovers, but Alex must have missed something in here."  
  
Killey took a deep breath, thankful that the Sindar ruin was far enough away from the stench of the pigs near the White Deer Inn. He stepped up to the massive stone doors, inscribed with a language he only knew too well.  
  
"This must be it," he said, and pressed a hidden button beside the door. With a whirr, the doors slid open and he stepped into the darkness.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
"Damn! All the treasures have been taken!" Killey spat in disgust. "I've been wasting my time in here!" He stormed out of the treasure room of the two-headed snake, cursing to himself. In his rage, he kicked the Journeyman crystal, the blue orb toppling off the pedestal and landing at his feet. He stared at it.  
  
"Oh well, this may fetch a meager price, but a price nonetheless," he sighed and bent to pick it up. Before he could touch it, a soft rumbling sound came from behind him. He straightened and turned around to see a trapdoor on the floor slide away, revealing a descending stairway.  
  
He smiled slyly. "Well, well, what do you know? That amateur treasure seeker missed something after all." He grabbed a torch from the wall and proceeded into the place that was revealed before him.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
~A long, narrow, dark, endless tunnel.~  
  
Killey wiped the sweat away from his face, taking in small breaths.  
  
~It's stuffy... like the prisons of Falena.~  
  
He shuddered at the thought. Three years, three precious years he spent in those dungeons... and all because of that blasted woman.  
  
~We've crossed paths so many times...I was so gullible! I should have known that she would do anything to stop me.~  
  
He had to admit, though, that he somewhat admired her. She was clever and sneaky... just like him.  
  
At the end of the narrow tunnel, Killey stepped into a wide room. In the dimness, he looked at the wall in front of him, where a large mural was painted.  
  
"The Rune of Change," he muttered in awe, and stepped closer. Beneath the painting were more Sindarin inscriptions. He set his torch in the sandy ground, knelt down, and read aloud:  
  
"Beyond this chamber, if you believe,  
  
The greatest gift you shall receive,  
  
Greater in measure than the ones above...  
  
The Sindarin treasure is none other than true--"  
  
"True... what?" Killey demanded impatiently, squinting in the dim light. "Damn it! The stone has crumbled away!"  
  
~Gold? Silver? Precious jewels? What can possibly be greater than all these things?~  
  
Killey stepped back and rubbed his palms together, eyes gleaming in excitement. As he searched for a way to access the chamber behind the mural, his mind went weld, thinking of all the things that could possibly be waiting for him.  
  
~Mountains and mountains of treasure! Or maybe the true rune itself, hidden away all these years! Of perhaps something that will reveal all the secrets of the Sindar!~  
  
His fingers grazed a loose panel on the wall, and he pressed it firmly with a `click.' The wall shuddered and started to open.  
  
~Yes! This is what I've been waiting for all my life! My life's meaning, everything I hold dear...~  
  
The wall slowly revealed another chamber, lit by torches. Killey stepped inside and stopped.  
  
"You?!" He gasped. "You're the treasure of the Sindar?!"  
  
Lorelai tossed her hair over her shoulder and smiled. 


	2. Harmony of Hearts

Valentine's Day  
  
Disclaimer: Suikoden and its characters are owned by KCE, not me. And if my fics resemble any other author's works, it's purely coincidental, since I'm sure there are millions of Suikoden fics out there, and I haven't read all of them yet.  
  
Author's Note: I was bitten by the love bug, and it inspired me to write this. It's my first fic...Hope you enjoy! ^_^; Oh yeah, I used the default name for Hero2 (Riou), and my castle is called Genkaku Castle (in reverence to the late great State hero.. *sniff*)  
  
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Chapter 2: Harmony of Hearts  
  
"Adesso parlerò fino all'alba del mio   
  
sogno di fuoco che brucia con la mia vita..."  
  
"Well done, Annallee," Pico strummed the last chord on his guitar. They were both practicing, sitting backstage in the castle's music hall. "But we both know it can be improved. Is something on your mind? Do you want to take a break?"  
  
"Sorry..." Annallee replied softly, looking down at her hands clasped on her lap. "Maybe... with Alberto's cello..." she suggested.  
  
Pico smiled. "Yes, speaking of which, where is that guy?" He glanced past the side entrance, but saw only empty chairs in the dim light of the late afternoon sun. "Doesn't he know there's practice today? We have to be ready for the Valentine's Day performance tomorrow afternoon," he sighed. There was a brief silence.  
  
"Pico," Annallee spoke up.  
  
"Yes?" Pico turned to look at her, meeting her eyes.  
  
"You...still wear that necklace," she smiled, lowering her gaze to the shiny pendant on a red string that hung around Pico's neck. The smooth, silver bass-clef pendant on his chest gave off a faint orange glow, reflecting the light of the setting sun.  
  
"Of course. It was from someone very special to me," he replied, chuckling when he saw Annallee's cheeks turn red.  
  
"I remember when you gave this to me," he said, fingering the pendant. "It was a couple of years ago, before our very first performance in Rockaxe..." he gazed out the window with a faraway look in his eyes.  
  
"Alberto's hometown..." Annallee added.  
  
"Yes," he smiled. "It was quite fortunate that Alberto was friends with the owner of that tavern we played in. It was the first time I had the chance to perform the music I wrote for a large audience. Alberto was so excited for us, but he didn't know that deep inside I was a wreck!" Pico laughed.  
  
He looked back at Annallee. "But you could sense my anxiety, and you gave me this necklace. You told me it was a good luck charm from your town in Harmonia, and..."  
  
"...that it promotes the harmony of the mind, heart and soul," Annallee's lips moved in unison with Pico's.  
  
"That performance was very important to me, and your words were very encouraging... At the end, we did a fine job, didn't we?" He leaned closer and looked at Annallee intently. "But I soon realized that my good luck charm wasn't the necklace..."  
  
The petite brunette's eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"You are my good luck charm, Annallee," Pico smiled. "Thank you."  
  
Annallee quickly looked down at the floor, her cheeks blushing an even brighter shade of red.  
  
"Pico! Annallee! Are you in here?" called a voice from the hallway. In a few seconds, Alberto's worried face peeked backstage, and he sighed with relief.  
  
"Good, you're still here. I'm so sorry for being late," he apologized, huffing and puffing as he set his cello case to the side. "I was with Master Tessai, and he was teaching me how to embed runes onto weapons. It was so interesting that I became engrossed in the lesson and forgot about the time." He took a chair from a stack against the wall and sat with them, still trying to catch his breath. "Sorry," he said again, wiping sweat from his forehead.  
  
Pico grinned. "Don't worry about it. Amazingly, this is only the first time you've ever been later than me!" They all chuckled at that.  
  
"Anyway, we haven't quite finished practicing the new song for tomorrow," Pico said, handing Alberto the music sheets.  
  
"Right, right," Alberto nodded. "Let's get started then. We've got a lot of work ahead of us......"  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
"There's Lord Riou in front," Pico whispered, peeking through the curtain of the stage, observing the crowd. "Wow, it looks like everyone's here for the Valentine's Day performance!" He turned to Annallee who stood behind him, looking at the ground. "Nervous?" he asked.  
  
"A little..." she admitted. "I hope I practiced enough for the new song..." She looked at Alberto, who was playing some practice notes on his cello, to the side. "I wish I could be as relaxed as Alberto."  
  
Pico laughed and approached her. "Here," he reached into his pocket. "I have something that will take away that nervousness." As he brought his hand out, a glint of silver caught Annallee's eye. He opened his fist to reveal a necklace, silver like his, with a pendant in the shape of a G-clef.  
  
"This," he said, reaching behind Annallee's head to put the necklace on her, "is a very special good luck charm... Pico's good luck charm." He kissed her on the cheek and smiled. "And accompanied by Pico's good luck kiss, you can't go wrong!" He grinned and stepped back to look at the surprised, blushing girl.  
  
"You guys ready?" Alberto came up to them, cello in hand.  
  
"Let's knock `em dead," Pico replied, looking at Annallee, who smiled in return.  
  
~~~~~~  
  
"Whew!" Alberto exhaled as the curtain fell and the applause died down. The three walked backstage, quite drained by their show. "Great job, you two!" he turned and placed a hand on Pico's and Annallee's shoulders. "You gave an excellent performance today!"  
  
Pico and Annallee looked at each other, their eyes gleaming knowingly, and grinned. Alberto grinned along with them, then stopped.  
  
"Hey, why don't I have a necklace?" 


	3. Warrior of Love

Valentine's Day  
  
Disclaimer: Suikoden and its characters are owned by KCE, not me. And if my fics resemble any other author's works, it's purely coincidental, since I'm sure there are millions of Suikoden fics out there, and I haven't read all of them yet.  
  
Author's Note: I was bitten by the love bug, and it inspired me to write this. It's my first fic...Hope you enjoy! ^_^; Oh yeah, I used the default name for Hero2 (Riou), and my castle is called Genkaku Castle (in reverence to the late great State hero.. *sniff*)  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter 3: Warrior of Love  
  
"HIX!!!!!"  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!" Hix cried out as he felt strong hands push his body off the bed and he landed face-first with a thump. Groaning, he struggled to peel his face off the wooden floorboards.  
  
"Wake up, you big sleepyhead!" Tengaar's smiling face appeared beside him. Hix blinked in a daze. "It's such a beautiful day, and you've been in bed too long! I thought you were going to sleep right through lunchtime!" She stood up, offering a hand to Hix. "And on the day that I prepare a special picnic basket for the two of us!"  
  
"Picnic?" Hix wondered aloud, taking Tengaar's hand and pulling himself up. "But you always prepare a pic--"  
  
"But today's different! It's Valentine's Day, silly!" She let go of his hand and put her hands on her hips, sending Hix falling back down on his behind. "Now you'd better be ready in ten minutes!" she ordered as she walked out the door, leaving Hix stunned on the floor.  
  
"Um..." His sat there for a moment, rubbing his bottom, still half-asleep.  
  
Then it hit him.  
  
"VALENTINE'S DAY?!" His eyes bulged open. "Oh great. Today's the day..." He reached under his pillow and pulled out a small red velvet pouch. He emptied the contents onto his palm, and a silver ring with one large ruby fell out. "Today's the day I ask Tengaar to marry me..." he sighed, gazing at the red stone glittering in the sunlight.  
  
~I wanted it to be perfect, but so far it isn't going very well...~  
  
He frowned. Sighing again, he put the ring back into the pouch and quickly started getting ready. The last thing he wanted today was to make Tengaar angry.  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
"It's such a lovely day today, don't you think so, Hix? The sun's out, there's a cool breeze," Tengaar closed her eyes and basked in the sunlight. They were sitting on a brightly colored blanket under a tree outside the Genkaku Castle gates. Lots of dishes were spread out in front of them, a result of Tengaar's many hours of hard work and labor of love in the kitchen.  
  
"Mm-hmm," Hix nodded, "But much lovelier is the way your hair shines in the golden sun, and your smile that is a hundred times as bright." He then abruptly leaned close to her till his face was only a few inches away from hers. "Tengaar... there's something I want to tell you."  
  
"Yes, Hix?" she answered in a small voice, a little surprised by his unexpected behavior.  
  
"Tengaar," he began. He took her hand and slipped the ring onto her delicate finger. "Will you marry me?"  
  
Tengaar gazed at the ring and smiled. "Oh, yes, Hix! Yes!" She reached out and embraced him tightly.  
  
"Oh, Hix... Hix!"  
  
~~~~~~~  
  
"HIX!"  
  
"Huh? Wha?"  
  
"Yeesh... where's your mind wandering off to now? You haven't said a word since we got here!"  
  
Hix snapped out of his reverie and found himself on the fourth floor of the castle, having a picnic with Tengaar beneath the watchful statue of Lord Riou. Not exactly what he had in mind.  
  
"Oh, sorry. This dark chowder is really great," he said meekly, trying to make conversation. Tengaar glared at him for a moment and went back to eating her green salad.  
  
~Oh no...now she's angry! What do I do? What can I say? How the heck am I going to ask her to marry me now? This picnic isn't going well... Not going well at all!!~  
  
Hix stopped.  
  
~Great. Wonderful. Just my luck to eat something that causes PANIC!!!!~  
  
He set his cup of dark chowder down and reached for the chili pasta. He quickly wolfed it down, almost choking on a big bite.  
  
"Hix!" Tengaar cried. "What are you doing!? Where are your table manners? Slow down! You'll choke to death!" She reached over to pat Hix on the back to help dislodge the food.  
  
"Sorry," he managed to say in between coughs. "It's just that... I haven't had breakfast yet, so I'm quite hungry, and the food is so delicious that I just have to try all of it!" he forced a grin that, luckily, Tengaar accepted.  
  
"Okay..." she replied, eyeing him warily. "Have some creamy gratin then. I made it just the way you like it," she smiled half-heartedly, her eyes showing worry.  
  
Hix got the bowl of gratin, continued to grin and nod until Tengaar looked away. He stared at the gratin.  
  
~She's upset...I can tell. I should tell her already.~  
  
Hix glanced at Tengaar eating her food and staring out into the horizon. He pulled out the velvet pouch and took out the ruby ring. He sighed, gazing at the stone.  
  
"Hix."  
  
Caught off-guard, Hix hastily shoved the ring and the pouch back into his pocket. "Yes, Tengaar?" he answered, hoping that she didn't see him.  
  
"How long do you think we'll stay here at the castle?" she asked, still staring into the distance. "I miss the Village..."  
  
~Now's my chance!~  
  
"Actually, Tengaar," he began, sitting closer to her and reaching into his pocket for the pouch at the same time, "I've been thinking a lot about that too. I was planning to return sometime soon...perhaps in the next few days."  
  
"Oh? You'll take me with you, right? When, exactly, were you planning on telling me this?" Tengaar raised an eyebrow. She reached for the gratin, her eyes fixed on Hix.  
  
"Oh, in due time, Tengaar," he smiled. Then his smile froze.  
  
~CRAP! The ring isn't in the pouch!!~  
  
"Uh...um," Hix stuttered, trying to discreetly dig into his pocket, searching for the ring.  
  
"Anyway, it would be really great to see father again," Tengaar said, picking up a fork. "We haven't seen him in around three years!" She sighed and gazed up at the clouds.  
  
Hix quickly nodded in agreement and feigned a smile as his eyes searched all around the picnic blanket in a panic. Then a twinkle of red caught his eye.  
  
~NO! NOT IN THE GRATIN!!~  
  
"Tengaar!" he cried out, forcing her to look directly at him. Before she could say anything, Hix leaned over and gave her a kiss. Tengaar dropped the fork in surprise, and closed her eyes.  
  
~Okay, now where is that ring...Aha!~  
  
Hix tried to ignore the feeling of his fingers picking through the mushy gratin as he retrieved the ring. He then broke off the kiss and started wiping the ring clean with some paper napkins.  
  
"Uh, wow... um..." Tengaar stuttered.  
  
"As I was saying," Hix continued, the ring hidden in one hand, "I want to go back to the Warrior's Village... for the wedding..."  
  
"Um, huh? Wedding?" Tengaar blinked, still stunned by the kiss.  
  
"Yes," Hix replied, taking her hand in his. He slipped on the ring and kissed her the back of her hand. "Our wedding." He gazed deeply into Tengaar's eyes, which were welling up with tears of joy.  
  
"Our wedding," Tengaar repeated, trying to control her tears from flowing.  
  
"Tengaar," Hix said tenderly, "I swore to protect you, that day in the Kobold Forest, and I will hold true to that promise forever. I swear to be your warrior for as long as you'll have me. Marry me, Tengaar!" He held her soft hands in his. "I love you, Tengaar!" He kissed her gently on the lips. "Tengaar..."  
  
~~~~~~  
  
"Tengaar!"  
  
"Hmm?" Tengaar stopped daydreaming and looked at the shy brunette warrior next sitting next to her on the picnic blanket. She frowned slightly.  
  
~So...it was just a dream. I guess dreams will remain dreams...~  
  
"Um..." Hix began. "I was planning to return to the Warrior's Village in a few days..." 


	4. Cupid's Arrow

Valentine's Day ~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Disclaimer: Suikoden and its characters are owned by KCE, not me. And if my fics resemble any other author's works, it's purely coincidental, since I'm sure there are millions of Suikoden fics out there, and I haven't read all of them yet.  
  
Author's Note: The name I used for the hero in Suikoden 2 is Riou, and the castle is Genkaku Castle (as well as the library). This one's just a scene... kinda short. Hope you like it ^_^  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Chapter 4: Cupid's Arrow  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ayda closed her eyes as the refreshing, cool February breeze blew. She sat on the grassy mound beside the Genkaku Library, quietly enjoying her peaceful solitude. She smiled to herself as she basked in the warm sunlight, appreciating the perfect weather.  
  
"That's her over there, Shiro. She's beautiful, isn't she?"  
  
"Awwoooh!"  
  
Ayda's curiosity, and ears, perked up. She knew Kinnison was talking to Shiro just a few meters away, behind the east wall of the library building. The acute sense of hearing she acquired from living in the forest told her so.  
  
"Gorgeous, just gorgeous..."  
  
"Awwoooh!"  
  
Ayda felt herself turning red. She knew Kinnison had feelings for her and was quite shy about them, but she didn't expect to hear him say such things about her. She always told herself that she didn't have time for feelings like these, but perhaps it was the perfect day that made her think otherwise.  
  
"...An exquisite creation of nature..."  
  
"Awwoooh!"  
  
Her smile widened. Aww, c'mon, she wanted to say. She was starting to feel quite embarrassed now, but still... hearing all those compliments made her feel every bit of the woman she was. She knew Kinnison never had the courage to say to her directly what he felt, so she continued to listen.  
  
"...Just watching her makes my heart soar...it's so inspiring! It makes me wish I were back in the forest."  
  
"Awwoooh!"  
  
Ayda felt her heart melt a little. That did it. Both of them were devoted protectors of the forest, and just knowing that she inspired him, even just a little, and renewed his dedication made her happy. She stood up and walked over to the side of the library, seeing Kinnison and Shiro sitting on the ground and leaning against the wall, facing the other direction.  
  
"Kinnison," she bent down and tapped the young archer on the shoulder. He jumped in surprise, looking at her with flushed cheeks.  
  
"Oh, A...A-Ayda!"  
  
"I think it's great that you want to return to the forest," she smiled, sitting down next to him. "I think of it sometimes, too."  
  
"I, er... I didn't think you could h-hear me..." Kinnison uttered nervously.  
  
"Nevermind that," she shook her head, feeling the heat creep back into her cheeks. "How would you like to accompany me to the forests near Radat? There are some interesting places I want to show you," she asked.  
  
"S-sure! D-definitely!" he stuttered in reply.  
  
"Great," Ayda grinned. Somehow she already felt closer to him. She hesitated for just a split-second, then leaned close and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. She stood up just as quickly, preventing any awkward moments or reactions. "I'll see you tomorrow, then!" she waved cheerfully and walked away. The two stared at each other in stunned silence.  
  
"Did that just happen?" Kinnison asked his dog in disbelief.  
  
"Awooh..."  
  
"Wow..." he breathed. He shook his head and loudly exhaled his bewilderment. "Anyway, what were we talking about again? Oh yeah, the red-crested silver eagle..." 


End file.
